Amnesia
by lovingthis
Summary: What happens when you wake up one day to find you're 6 years older than you remember? How do you cope with losing years of your life? Who do you turn to when you can't remember your friends- and the one you do betrayed you? Eventually Smithy/OC
1. Chapter 1

Memories - they shape what we are, how we live and grow. They tell you of your experiences. I know mind have changed me, made me cry, taken my confidence, given me a logical view of things and replaced said confidence. They are the reason I know I will always try my best as I grow older, they give me my peculiarities like the fact I'm teetotal at 18 and don't lie when people ask me how I am. I know my feelings are real, I listen to them and I don't see the need to hide that.

So how can we cope when we lose them? What do we do? All the things that make us what we are go. How do you know yourself?

I dont own The Bill and I hope you enjoy. :)

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><p>They'd spent the day at band practice. Sam's video camera was, as usual, filming the group as they messed around parodying songs and trying their own. After successfully filming their rendition of High School Never Ends for their schools end of year party Sam jumped onto the windowsill to view her friends. Talking to Lauren from her position Sam never noticed Jimmy coming from her blind spot until it was too late and he was grabbing her arms trying to force a Mars bar on her.<p>

Yelling "TRATOR!" at Lauren she fell off her seat away from Jimmy and started to run. Peter swung the camera around to watch their mini brawl as they hit the floor and struggled.

Eventually, Sam conceded and took a huge chunk out of the chocolate. She chocked from her laughing fit but once she recovered she snapped her teeth at James' hand. James retreated from on top of her and helped her back to her feet.

"Seriously though," she laughed. "Stop forcing food on me. You know I hate it."

Jimmy, knowing an argument would ruin the day, let it drop, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer.

"Hey! Stop it! You'll make my jumper smell!"

Jimmy retorted. "No worse than it does already!"

Sam smacked him in the arm and the chase resumed.

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><p>"Crap no! It's later than I thought! I've got to run! Sorry!" She hugged James, waved goodbye to the rest and ran.<p>

"One day, I swear, I'm going to follow her and stop it."

Lauren looked over. They knew that it was a dangerous idea. Even though their biggest threat was probably Sam herself… how pissed she would be. But she understood where Jimmy was coming from. "Why not today?"

.

Sam slid into her front door and once inside raced upstairs to dump her stuff and hide her camera before anyone realised she'd been out so long. If today was her lucky day her Dad still wasn't home yet. Or was already… occupied.

.

Today was NOT her lucky day.

She'd had a reasonable meal set in the oven when the front door slammed open and rebounded against the wall. A few words were yelled through the house to her Mum and then her father was in the kitchen.

He stood in the door way watching her. His eyes trailed over her body and his fists balled at his side.

"New clothes?"

He already knew the answer to the question. She'd been wearing these clothes in public; definitely against the unnamed rules. The scars and cuts on her body had to be covered at all times and sleeveless tops and long shorts were pushing the boundaries. He started to walk towards her, firstly to the island where he placed his weight forwards on both of his hands, causing her to back away.

Sam knew this mood. It was the one that scared her the most, normally he was happy with hurting her and leaving. When he was like this he just didn't stop. Or let her clean herself up. These were the times her heart started racing at an ungodly place in her chest. Her entire body tensed and she felt herself heating up as she held herself from shaking.

Sam never replied and he came around the island grabbing the back of her hair pulling it back.

"Are you deaf as well as stupid?"

Sam glanced around as she felt her back dig into the countertop in front of the sink. Happening to look out the window she saw Jimmy's face pull back behind a bush.

Shit.

"I… They're old… I don't have anything else that's clean." She wildly made up her defence on the spot. The man threw her forwards so she hit the island. Her hand, which went forward to break her fall, closed around the blade of a knife on the worktop and her blood started to flow. Biting back any reaction to the pain as it would only serve against her, she stood again and tried to turn away. Just as she reached for a tea towel, she was pulled back around and saw the fist begin to rise.

"Sammy? Sammy where are you?" It was Mike. Her little godsend, she really couldn't understand how most girls hated their little brothers.

"Hey baby boy! I'm in the kitchen with your Daddy." Her father pulled her closer to him, his hand closing tightly against her shirt, leaving no escape, told her to expect him later for this and pushed her backwards.

Mike came around the corner but stopped short at the sight of her blood.

"I cut myself on the knife." Sam wrapped the towel around her hand as she walked over to him. "Goes to show what happens if you're not careful eah baby boy?" She smiled as she wrapped her arms around him.

"You got any work to do?" He nodded. " Okay go get started. Yell if you need a hand." She kissed him on the head and started to usher him out the room.

"Not so fast. Back here boy."

Both kids froze, Sam's good hand still on Mike's shoulder. Their father never addressed Mike. It was a rule of his. Mike was premature and a disappointment to his Dad. He'd been underweight for the first years of his life and for a father expecting to have a strapping young lad as an heir to the _family business_ it was a let down. The youngest child of the family, however, was the apple of his parent's eyes. He got whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. Born two weeks late, heavier than average and shared his fathers opinion on _everything_… the poor child was only eight, Sam had tried but she didn't think she could pull him away from his path.

"Mike has to do his homework." She turned back to the glowering man, glancing back out of the window as she did. He was still there. She tried to shake her head in that direction, tell them to go away. Just hoped it worked. "So he's going upstairs and he's not coming back until it's done." She held eye contact with the man who terrified her. "Mike, go to your room"

"I give the orders around here." The tone of his voice rose and Sam knew it was the wrong move for her to make. But there wasn't a right one that got Mike away. Mike, trusting his sister, fled.

"Stupid fat bitch." The second they heard the door shut from upstairs his fist made contact with the side of her face and she swayed before the second hit came forcing her to the ground.

She pulled herself up. She couldn't let her stalker-ish friends see her like this. Sam shook her head towards the window again. And as her father turned her to smack his fist into her stomach she saw a body dart from the bush and around the side of the house.

She hit the wall before falling to the floor again and just as he started to swing his leg into her stomach the doorbell rang.

The curse under his breath was barely audible. He stalked out of the room and seconds later he swore again and re-entered. "There was no-one there. What the hell do you think you're playing at." His hands came pulling her from the floor. The first hand pressed against her neck while the second held back the hand which tried to scratch against him.

"No. I swear it! I don't know who did that! Please!"

Her breathing became faster as her body searched for oxygen. If he wanted her to beg then she would. "Shit please! I don't know!" Her fighting hands stopped struggling and he pressed his body against hers. Her legs were going numb, her face red. All Sam could think was that she was going to die. Finally it was over.

Then her neck was released. Oxygen flooded back into her lungs and she was thrown against the island, knocking out the little air that'd just made it's way back inside her.

"Father, please."

"Father? You will address me by my proper form." Sam was picked up, spun around and forced back to the counter again.

"Uh Sir. Sir please." Sir- it normally worked. Let him know he's in charge, it boosted his ego.

"YOU WILL ADDRESS ME CORRECTLY!"

Humiliation burst through her as she realised what he was asking for. He could hurt her physically in so many way but this always stung worse. It "put her in her place" as he would say. The bloody knife from before came towards her stomach. It stopped half a centimetre away.

Tears brimmed in her eyes as she realised there was no other way. Her head hung in shame as her mouth started to form the most demeaning would she ever had to utter.

"Master."

He dropped the knife to the floor. His hands gripped her waist and he pressed himself against her. Trapped by his body she fought her shudders still while she blinked her eyes trying to remove the tears. Turning her head to the side as his hands made their way under her shirt she saw Jimmy. Watching. Terrified, wide eyes watching her.

"No. Go away." she mouthed as subtly as she could. But he didn't move. The mans hands were pinching her. His insults to her body started. Fat, ugly, disgusting. She'd heard them all before, reacted to them all, still did. His mouth found her neck. Her body tensed. God, she couldn't let Jimmy see this happening.

He started to pull her towards the door. She reacted on instinct; her knee came up. Sam missed her target but her father got the meaning. Slamming his fist into her face he reached for the first thing that came to hand. The rolling pin came into contact with the side of her head Sam cried out in pain and fell to the floor.

The world around her slowly turned to black.

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><p>Well I know the The Bill is over and as such this probabily wont get much reading but maybe people who do read will leave their thoughts behind?<p>

Seriously, it would be lovely to know what you think. I have had this idea for a fair few years now and have only just persuaded myself to get it down.

Thank you in advance. (Yes I am attempting to guilt trip!)


	2. Chapter 2

Yep, I don't own the Bill. Just the idea of this story.

I wish I owned the Bill. If I did it'd still be on.

It'd be on at 8pm.

And Stampy would have stayed.

Bless him.

Enough of my complaining!

Enjoy!

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><p>Sam woke up in a hospital bed. She knew that much before she even opened her eyes. It was the smell of the room around her that gave it away, it was the stale disinfectant smell that tore at your nose. There was a pause as she tried to remember how she got there. Jimmy's terrified face in the window, she couldn't breath, her father. Who'd taken her to the hospital? Her parents wouldn't have. Her father couldn't let the police know. If they found out they'd pry into his life, into his business and that couldn't happen. Her Mother wouldn't have for the same reasons, grouped with the fact she was almost as evil as her husband and cared little for her eldest two children.<p>

It was the cardinal rule. No one found out what he did to her. No one.

Then who took her there?

God she was in pain. Her head pounded and she felt like her stomach had been ripped to pieces.

Sam knew she had to open her eyes. She had to find out what happened to her. She couldn't legislate feeling _this _bad. Had her father looked in her room after she passed out and found her films? Found her application for the police force? That would have thrown him over the edge for sure.

The room was, as she expected, like any other hospital room. It was badly lit by a couple of lights, one above her and one as a bedside lamp. There were shutter blinds over the panes of glass that, she could only assume, looked further into the hospital. Other than that there was nothing much else. Her bed and a chair to it's side and a couple of books and other objects that looked like someone's personal possessions. Sam raised her hand to her head as it throbbed in pain. Holding both sides, one in each hand, and gently applying pressure she found the pain lessened, just like it did with the headaches she often got.

She'd been in that position for less than three minutes when the door opened and a police officer entered. She was fairly young in Sam's eyes. Early to mid twenties, shorter than average height, black or dark brown hair, it was hard to tell in the light. Looking to the bed she saw Sam's current position. "Sam!" The woman stuck her head back out of the door. "She's awake! Go get the doctor!"

"No." The officer looked at Sam who'd started to struggle against not only the wires in her arms but also her bodies inability to move.

"Sam, you've been seriously hurt. You need to calm down."

"No. Go away. You're not meant to be here. Get out."

A second officer entered. He was young, like the woman. But tall, very tall. Brown hair and a fairly handsome face. "Sam, chill yeah! It's us. You're safe with us."

Sam started to cry. Her body was complaining from the abuse her straining had put it through and she needed them to leave before her family got there. She would be dead for sure if they found police officers in her room, even if she didn't say anything. "GET OUT! YOU CAN'T BE HERE! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

A doctor came running into the room and Sam started to sob incoherently.

"She's distressed-"

"NO SHIT I AM! GET THEM OUT!"

"-You have to leave." The officers grudgingly obeyed and left the room, the girl started to talk into her radio as she left. The doctor closed the door behind them and started to address Sam. "You've been asleep for some time now. Do you think you can you tell me what happened?"

Sam tried to regain control of her breath and angrily wiped at tears still streaming down her face, the bandage on her hand easily soaking the tears.

"Aren't you meant to tell me who you are first?"

The doctor gave her a sceptical glance. "I'm Dr. Evans. I've been -" He stopped mid-sentence. "I think I'll start with the basics. What is your name?"

Sam glared at him. Was he an idiot? She knew her own name. And even if she had forgotten she wasn't so stupid to think that the officers were talking to another person in the empty room called 'Sam'.

He was insistent. "Your name?"

"Samantha Cicely Harrison."

"Do you know what the date is?"

"Of course I don't. You just told me I've been asleep for 'some time'." Sam took a mocking tone when mimicking him.

The doctor raised his eyebrows at her tone. "Can you tell me what happened to you?"

"Yes but you can't tell them. I know they're police but you have doctor patient confidentiality yeah? Whatever I say you can't repeat. I know I'm underage but it still applies." Evans had been nodding along as she spoke, but with a slight frown on his face. As she reached the end of her last sentence the frown deepened.

"How old are you, Sam?"

"Seventeen. I'm eighteen in four months. My birthday is the fourteenth of February."

"And the last thing you remember?"

"You haven't promised. Promise me you wont tell them."

"I… I don't think I can hold to that promise."

"You're a DOCTOR! You have to keep Doctor patient confidentiality!" Sam was sick of this guy. How they hell was his a doctor? He was an idiot. "I want Jimmy I'm not talking to you until you get him for me."

"Jimmy?"

Seriously? How slow was this guy. Sam's head hurt and she felt like she was going to throw up. "Yes, _Jimmy_. My best friend, _Jimmy_. The person who PROBABLY BROUGHT ME HERE, JIMMY! JIMMY, JAMES MATTHEW HAWKINS."

Doctor Evans frowned again. "If I can get him here will you tell me what happened?"

"I _WANT_ JIMMY. I'M NOT GIVING YOU ANY ANSWERS UNTIL HE'S HERE."

"Okay, okay. I'll see what I can do. Are you in any pain?"

Sam mimicked his frown back at him. She had decided that he wasn't a real doctor as he kept on asking her stupid questions and only asked important ones _after_ she said she wasn't going to talk to him anymore. Could he not see for himself that she has tears streaming down her face?

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><p>Well please let me know what you think! It would make me mightily happy!<p>

Thanks.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three!

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><p>Forty five minutes and a number of painkillers later the door to Sam's room opened and the Doctor entered followed by Jimmy.<p>

"JIMMY! Jimmy? You… you look older. Almost your age." James had always looked younger than he was. He smiled at her as he sat on her bed and took her hand. "Been worrying about me that much?"

He laughed as he watched her. He opened his mouth but struggled for the words. She cut him off as sudden anger, previously held back by the drugs, started to burn through her.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" Jimmy jumped in surprise. "Bringing me here? Why would you even consider it? You know what they'll do. And POLICE OFFICERS? Are you OUT OF YOUR MIND? I TOLD YOU BECAUSE I TRUSTED YOU TO KEEP IT SECRET, TO HELP ME WHEN I NEEDED IT! NOT TO BETRAY ME LIKE THIS!"

"Sammy… come on please. I didn't…"

"HOW ELSE AM I LIKE THIS THEN? YOU KNOW I HAVE TO BE OUT OF HERE! I HAVE MY FIRST TRAINING TO GO TO!" Her throat joined her list of pains.

"Sammy, please, calm down. I need to tell you something. Please."

She tried to blink back tears but ended up wiping her eyes on the back of her hands anyway.

"Okay I'm going to ask you to stay calm. There's someone here to see you but you won't be happy with what they're wearing."

"No police officers."

"You're going to have to make an exception."

"NO!" Jimmy ignored her and called to someone outside. "JIMMY NO!" She lurched forward as she yelled, pulling at her muscles. Sam's knees pulled up as her body tried to curl in on itself, her stomach screaming in pain.

Then the door reopened and entered the last person Sam had ever expected to see.

"Smithy?" He was wearing a police officer's uniform. She turned to Jimmy in worry and confusion. "No… He… You can't do this to me it's not fair."

"Sam, calm down… It's okay. I'm not going to make you tell him about anything that you do or don't remember."

Sam's head was clouded with the drugs. "I don't want him here. I can't believe this. Smithy." Then her brain caught up and she took in a sharp breath. "What do you mean 'don't remember'?"

"You… you have memory loss."

Sam scoffed. What was wrong with everyone today? "No I don't."

Jimmy smiled at her defiance. "I don't look older… I _am_ older. So are you."

Sam started to shake her head. "No… No… I can't be. This isn't funny… Jimmy… I haven't been out for that long… Have I?" Her last question was directed to the doctor.

"Just over a month. You were in an induced coma while the worst of your wounds healed. We then struggled to wake you up."

Sam's world started to shatter around her. "But… But… I was meant to… I… I was going to… I would get away and… I… I've…"

"You didn't miss it, Sam. You're a policewoman."

"So… Wait no… I... you were outside Jimmy. You weren't meant to be there. And he… It was a month before my first day. You said I've been out for a month. I've missed it. I don't… I don't understand."

"You're twenty three. You're a police officer at Sun Hill station. You work with me." Smithy reached forward and took her hand.

"LET GO OF ME! HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME!" Smithy jumped back in surprise. "YOU LEFT ME! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

The three men in the room all opened their mouths.

"DON'T! DON'T DEFEND HIM. Smithy, you were meant to be my best friend. You were the only person I trusted. I ran to _you_. REMEMBER? And you just left! YOU PROMISED ME YOU'D COME BACK!"

"What, what are you talking about?"

"Nearly nine years ago! You.. He.. And you…" Sam started to cry into her hands, burying her face from the others. Smithy realised, in horror, to what she was referring.

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><p>It was Sam's eleventh birthday. She was upstairs in her room waiting for her party to start. Well, it may be said that it was her party but that wasn't the case. Her Father was using her birthday as a cover to try and set a deal with another <em>business<em> family. Sam wasn't stupid, she knew the truth, but she had to keep the charade up, her Father wouldn't forgive her if this deal fell through. Even though she was young she understood her father well enough to know he could be very dangerous.

Sam pulled out her video camera and turned it on. She twisted it to face herself and explained what the day was. Halfway through her little monologue Mike entered. Sam sat the camera on her side table.

"Hey baby boy!" she invited him to sit next to her on her bed. "It's my birthday today!" She spoke softly as if it was a precious secret she was sharing. He didn't smile or react. "What's wrong?" Sam pulled him onto her lap, he was a bit too big for that treatment but it didn't really matter to them.

"Does Daddy ever scare you?"

"You're afraid of Daddy?" He boy nodded as she pulled him onto her lap. "Hey! Daddy will never hurt you. You have a big mean ugly sister to look after you!"

He giggled at her expression. "Now, whatcha say you take my camera and you can film me ALL evening! After all it is my day!" Of course she knew she wasn't going to enjoy the evening but that didn't mean her brother shouldn't. He picked up her camera and started to follow her every movement so she started to circle her room. After the fifth circuit she ran out of the room trying to get away from him. The laughed as they sprinted down the stairs.

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><p>An hour and a half later the living room was nearly packed to capacity. There was music playing from the large stereo system and people were chatting happily with one another. They were all from the two families. No-one Sam's age. The nearest was her brother who was four years younger than herself. Sam had greeted everyone at the doors like her mother insisted, took coats, exchanged pleasantries and now there was only one person left to arrive, the one person she'd been allowed to chose to come.<p>

She was in the kitchen, pulling faces to the camera her brother still held, when the doorbell rang.

"I'VE GOT IT!" Sam yelled loudly earning stern looks from her father, uncles and some of the other families prominent members. She ignored them and danced her way through the crowd to the door. By the time she got there her pregnant mother had already opened the door and started to usher the man inside. It wasn't fair. Why was she forced to great all the people she didn't want to but her mother didn't let her see the person she did? Then the moment of sadness passed.

"SMITHY!" Sam grinned and launched herself on the teenage man who picked her up and spun her around.

"His name is Dale. Stop it with the childish nicknames." Her mother hissed at her, but it fell on deaf ears.

"Hey you! Happy birthday." Sam's mum headed back to the to the main party. "I hope you don't mind I brought a friend. Dale gestured behind himself. "This is my uncle, Will."

Sam looked at the man stood in the dark doorway. "Oh! Hello. Can I take your coat?" The man smiled at her.

"Of course you can. Dale's told me a lot about you."

"Good things I hope!" Sam gave the automatic response.

"You should have heard him in the car on the way here. All I've heard are great things! You're intelligent, hard working, caring, love reading-"

"Alright uncle you can stop now. I think everyone's through those doors, in the living room." Smithy pointed in the direction. The man left, Sam took the opportunity to start chuckling.

"Your father's side?"

"Yep." Dale nodded and the giggling increased.

"His name's _Will Smith_?"

"In my grandparent's defence he was born before the actor or comedian! Now when are you going to get onto the topic of his nose?"

Sam's giggles turned into full blown laughter. "It's HUGE! Like a big bird's beak! You're lucky you didn't inherit it! I bet your kids will! That'd be hilarious!"

"Now stop that or you don't get your birthday presents." Sam's eyes widened.

"You've got me a present?" She wasn't stupid, she just never expected anything from anyone.

"Of course I have it's your birthday isn't it!" Smithy fished two things from his pocket. "This one first." He held the small package out for her, she accepted it, tore the wrapping paper off the small box and opened it. She had a silver necklace with a small "S" pendent hanging from it.

"Smithy! You shouldn't have got me this!" She gently pushed her brother a step backwards as he tried to push the camera under her arm and into the box. Smithy smiled and turned her around to put the necklace on her.

"And your second present is this one here." He handed her other package.

"OH MY GOD! THE HOBBIT! I'VE WANTED THIS BOOK FOR FOREVER!" Sam yelled and threw her arms around Smithy's neck! "Thank you so much!" She jumped back and started to bounce on her feet. "Okay I'm going to put this safe in my room."

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><p>More soon. Let me know what you think :)<p>

Thanks


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4. Not getting reviews but it's still being read so I'ma continue regardless :)

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><p>Sam ran back down to the lounge but, after a quick search found Smithy was really in the kitchen.<p>

"Can't stand them already?" She pulled a face as she nodded her head to the lounge.

"I came here for your birthday. I'm going to talk to you." He smiled at her.

They spent hours joking about and making fun of others in the room. As well as Dale's uncle there was a cousin of some sort who had a stupidly long neck, someone else who was losing hair faster than a child who'd been supplied with a dog and electric razors.

Fireworks started outside. Dale flinched mid-sentence as he searched for the noise, half ducking as he twisted.

"Being in the army isn't treating you well. You're so jumpy."

"It keeps me alive."

"Yeah but look at you. You're afraid of _fireworks_."

"I'm not _af-_ You're teasing me aren't you."

Sam nodded.

"I know you don't like me being in the army but I do."

"You said you'd do anything for me. Quit."

"I would Sammy. But you know I meant that in I would do anything to protect you. But I'm keeping my job, I enjoy it."

"Yeah, yeah the discipline etcetera etcetera. But you could do something else. Like the police? You get the order and uniform and the keep fit."

"With families like ours?"

The two laughed and went back to insulting people. After that got boring Sam decided to read his fortune from his palm.

"Hey! Won't you look at that!" She traced a faint line. "You're going to listen to the advice of a good friend of yours and join the police." The man glowered. "And you're going to be really good at it. And everyone's going to use my nickname for you." She grinned openly. "You're going to do stupid things, but that's pretty human yeah?" Sam studied his hand for longer and frowned. "Where am I?"

"What do you mean?"

"I can't see me in your future, you know, like, your hands change over time revealing more of your future. But I'm not here."

"You're always going to be in my future."

"Really?"

"Uhuh. See that there?" He pointed to a scar on his hand. Sam nodded. "That's you. You're always going to be here."

"That's a scar, silly! Of course it's always going to be there."

"Yeah the one you gave me!"

"It's not my fault you fell over. You should watch your feet! Hmm, I need to go pee."

Dale laughed at the bluntness with which she said it. "Enjoy!"

While Sam returned to the kitchen her father pulled her back and hissed something at her. She paled, apologised and completed the journey.

"What was that about?" Dale frowned.

"Nothing." She smiled at him. "Want some cake? Real cake I mean. Not the stuff they have out there." She gestured to the main room.

"I'm up for real cake."

"Guess where it's hidden!"

"Hmmmm. This is hard…."Dale pretended not to know although they always hid everything in the same place.. "Under the sink?"

Sam giggled clapping her hands. "You got it!"

Sam was made to mingle with the guests a little later, a small attempt at pretending everyone believed the charade. Who were they kidding though? Everyone knew that there weren't here for her. As the hour got later and later Sam decided it was time for Mike to go to bed. Telling him to put the camera somewhere that it could continue to see the entire room, she took his hand and lead him out.

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><p>"SMITHY!" Her shriek turned the room silent as Sam sprinted through the room to her friend. She quite literally threw herself at him, landing at his feet, arms tight around his legs almost pushing him over. Pressing a hand on the wall behind him Dale looked at the birthday girl sobbing into the side of his knee. Her hair was everywhere and face covered in tears and sweat.<p>

"Hey, hey." He tried to sit down next to her, half falling over her as he did. Realising he couldn't do it without persuading her to let go of his legs, he lent forward placing his arms around her body so she latched onto him higher up. "Hey. What's wrong?"

Sam continued her sobbing, running out of breath and hyperventilating. The room had turned towards the pair, everyone in a semi circle around them but staying a good few paces back. Dale rubbed her back making soothing noises to try and make her calm down.

"Samantha Harrison, pull yourself together this instant. You're making a scene."

Dale's head shot up to glare at the mother. "Your daughter is upset. Now why don't you shut up and let me find out what's wrong?" The woman took a step backwards in shock, latching onto her husbands arm.

"Oi! Don't you talk to my wife like that."

"I said shut up. And someone turn that goddamn awful music off." The man's expression changed as he turned his head back to Sam, resting it gently on hers. Somewhere in the crowd his command was followed. "Come on, Sammy. Tell me what's wrong." She looked up but did nothing but hiccup. "Hey," he tried to wipe the tears off from her face. "I can't do anything until you tell me what's wrong."

"'e- 'e-" Her almost words were barely audible through her breathing.

"Samantha seriously, enough is enough. Now stand up, pull yourself together. And what the hell have you done to that new skirt of yours?"

Sam's crying started up again, harder than before. Dale looked down at her again, trying to see what he'd missed before. Her skirt, as the mother had said, was dirty, twisted and wrinkled. She had scratches on her arms and faint bruising was visible on her wrists. Dale took Sam's face in both of his hands and forced her to look at him.

"Talk to me, Sammy." His eyes searched hers. "What happened?" Her hands tightened their grip on his shirt. "Was is a man or woman?"

"M- m- m- man." Her face tried to bury itself in his chest again but Dale wouldn't allow it.

"Did he…" He couldn't find it in himself to finish the question. Sam raised her head at the break in his words. As he looked into her eyes he understood. Pulling her into him again he wrapped his arms around her, head once more on hers, disbelief and horror written across his face.

"Who did this to you?"

Sam blinked rapidly, the tears still streaming from her eyes. She tried to speak but was unable.

"Did they say you weren't allowed to say?" She nodded. "You are you going to listen to, that person or me?"

"Y- Y- You."

"I'm not going to let anyone else touch you. You got that? Look it's you and me. Us, here, yes?" He pushed more hair from her face. The girl nodded again. "Now, I need to know who did this, Sammy." She turned her head to the rest of the room. "No. Don't look over there. It's just me and you. Who was it?"

Sam pulled an arm from her friends waist and ran it down her nose, rubbing it over the tip. Dale's jaw dropped.

"Uncle Will?"

The man he'd brought into that house.

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><p>Lemme know what you think :)<p> 


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